Payout Links

Payout Links is the most straightforward solution offered by Dots, allowing you to send money without the need to create a user or transfer manually.

You can send a payout link automatically through email or SMS or share the link manually. New payees will be guided through a quick onboarding process and given tons of convenient payment options to receive their payout.

Requirements

Before creating your first Payout Link, you must have:

• A Dots account.
• Created an App using the Dashboard or the Dots API.

If you haven’t completed one of these steps, access the Getting Started before continuing.

1. Creating a Payout Link

You can create a Payout Link using the Dashboard or the API. Below you will find the steps to create a Payout Link using each of these options:

API

To create the Payout Link using the API, you will need to use the App API Key and Client ID. You can find this information by accessing the Dashboard, selecting the desired App, and then selecting API Management on the sidebar.

With your credentials, you can create the Payout Link using the Create a Payout Link endpoint. The only required parameter is the amount value. However, you have several other options available, which are described in the following table:

Parameter	Description
user_id	The user’s id.
payee	The payee.
amount	REQUIRED. Amount to be paid in cents.
delivery	Delivery information.
delivery.message	Message to send in the SMS message that is sent to the payee.
delivery.method	Delivery method. Options: sms, link, email, all.
force_collect_compliance_information	Force the collection of 1099 or W-8 information.
tax_exempt	Payout links marked as tax_exempt will not be counted towards the 1099 threshold.
metadata	Set of key-value pairs that you can attach to an object. It is useful for storing additional information about the object in a structured format.
memo	Add a memo to the top of the Payout Link.
idempotency_key	Unique UUID key that prevents duplicate requests from being processed.
payout_fee_party	Overrides the setting for which party will pay fees on this payout.
additional_steps	Array of steps in the onboarding process. Options: compliance, id-verification, background-check, manage-payments, manage-payouts, payout, redirect.

The following code block presents request and response examples of creating a Payout Link using the Create a Payout Link endpoint.

Request

curl --request POST \
--url https://pls.senddotssandbox.com/api/v2/payout-links \
--header 'Authorization: Basic <token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"amount": 123,
"idempotency_key": "3c90c3cc-0d44-4b50-8888-8dd25736052a"
}'

{
  "accounting_data": {
    "quickbooks_account_id": null
  },
  "amount": 123,
  "claimed_user_id": null,
  "created": "2024-07-11T12:31:33.479437",
  "delivery": {
    "country_code": null,
    "email": null,
    "method": "link",
    "phone_number": null
  },
  "description": null,
  "flow_id": "7c22fd05-147e-48bb-b008-f48f24b76ea4",
  "id": "e5d5863a-498d-4551-a3dc-e31012503f23",
  "link": "https://my-sandbox.dots.dev/flow/7c22fd05-147e-48bb-b008-f48f24b76ea4",
  "memo": null,
  "metadata": null,
  "payee": {
    "country_code": null,
    "email": null,
    "first_name": null,
    "last_name": null,
    "phone_number": null
  },
  "status": "delivered",
  "tax_exempt": false,
  "transfer_id": "c1d3ec40-e05e-4385-acd6-c587372c4c3a"
}

The link parameter in the response will provide the Payout Link you can share with the payee.

Dashboard

1. Access and log in to the Dashboard.
2. Select the desired App from the sidebar selector.
3. Access the Send Payout tab and select Payout Links.
4. Provide the payout information. The only information required at this step is the Amount and the delivery method, which can be:
   • Link: Use this option to share the link manually.
   • SMS: If you choose this option, you must provide the payees’ phone numbers. The link will be automatically shared.
   • Email: If you choose this option, you must provide the payees’ email. The link will be automatically shared.
5. Click Submit.

If you choose Link, the Payout Link will appear below the Submit button. If you choose SMS or Email, the link will be automatically shared.

2. Using the Payout Link

When the payee receives and uses the Payout Link, they’ll be redirected to the Dots portal. The payees will be guided through a quick onboarding process. The payee will complete the following steps:

1. Enter a phone number.
2. Verify the phone number.
3. Submit the IRS Form W-8BEN or W9 depending on location and payout size.
4. Select the payout method.
5. Provide the payout method information.

Payees can retrieve their funds using several payout rails, such as local bank transfers, wire transfers, and PayPal. Access the Supported Countries page to see what payment options are available in your country.

The following video presents an example of when the payee doesn’t need to submit the IRS Form W-8BEN and selects the Amazon Gift card as the payment method.

What’s Next?

To stay up to date with all updates of your payouts, you can configure webhooks. Access the Webhooks documentation page to configure your webhooks in Dots.

If you’re using Dots API, check the complete list of error codes you can receive.